(Insert Alien Fart Joke Here)
And here we are at episodes 4 and 5, the first true two-parter of the series. We're back on Earth and while "The Unquiet Dead" was a test primarily for the Doctor, Rose finds herself tested this time as well in a recursive step that pulls her back to her initial Refusal to enter the special world. No coincidence that her two Threshold Guardians, Jackie and Mickey, reappear in this episode, though one of them begins their own transformation. We also meet what looks to be an ally at first, but who later may prove to be someone the Doctor considers an enemy.
There's been a long tradition in Doctor Who that the Doctor's control of the TARDIS isn't quite as finite as he would like. It came into play slightly in "The Unquiet Dead," as the Doctor landed himself and Rose in Cardif, 1869 instead of Naples, 1860. Here, it bites both the Doctor and Rose squarely in the butt as the Doctor returns them to London not twelve minutes after they left, but twelve months. Jackie has clearly spent much of her time looking for and worrying about Rose, and she's shocked, thrilled, and supremely pissed off when Rose comes waltzing through the door. Thus also begins the new tradition of the Doctor getting slapped sharply across the face by his companions' mothers. (Reason #1 the Doctor will never settle down to picket-fence bliss: the mother-in-law.)
Rose expected to step back into her Ordinary World for a while, was clearly anticipating it, but here she is hit not only with the normal tug of "Are you going to stay now that you've had your adventure?" but all the fears and expectations of people who've been worrying themselves sick about her. There's interviews with the police, there's the anger of Mickey -- who's been a suspect in her possible abduction/murder -- there's Jackie's insistence that Rose isn't going to go anywhere anymore and the verbal tearing down of Rose's relationship with the Doctor and Why It Is Wrong. All of this comes slamming down upon her, so much so that when the spaceship comes hurtling into the Thames, you can almost see the relief on her face because it's something to take her mind off everything else. There's no hesitation to take off with him and see what's happening.
Not much is happening comparatively. Spaceship hurtles spectacularly across the London skyline, whacks Big Ben in a fine Harryhausen manner crashes into the Thames and the Doctor and Rose can't get near enough to see what's going on. For some reason, the Doctor chooses not to use his psychic paper to get them through, and they end up back at Jackie's flat, reduced to waiting for news on the telly. Here the Doctor undergoes a minor test, one that he doesn't fair too well with -- dealing with the baggage that comes with Rose as Jackie's friends fill up the flat. The moment where the Doctor is wrestling with a small child for control of the remote is especially amusing. No, the Doctor doesn't do domestic, at least not the kind of domestic one would consider "normal."
Naturally, evil is afoot. A body has been pulled from the Thames, but the doctor responsible for the examination says that it's fake -- it's a pig with extra bits stuck on, sort of how seamen used to fake mermaids. Meanwhile, the Doctor uses the news of the body as an excuse to escape from Jackie's flat. Rose comes after him, worried he's going to take off (possibly because Rose feels that urge herself?). He assures her he won't and gives her a TARDIS key of her very own. Of course, once her back is turned, the Doctor runs away, straight to where the "alien" is being kept. He runs afoul of soldiers, who seem perfectly happy to send him off to his tenth regeneration rather prematurely, but when the screaming starts, the Doctor starts barking orders and the soliders obey, racing to find out what's happened. Turns out the "dead" alien has come back to life, frightened the doctor and in turn been frightened by the screams, so it runs away, only to be shot by the soldiers. The Doctor is upset because the pig was merely frightened and didn't need to die at all. Examining the now, really, we mean it this time, dead alien, he discovers it's definitely an Earth pig that's been augmented by alien technology. Someone wanted to fake the crash landing to draw attention, but the question is why?
The someone are the Slitheen, who are masquerading has important government officials and have infiltrated important positions. Important government officals in dire need of Gas-Ex. The fact that no one appears to actively notice this rather appalling habit is a comment on a) what people will put up with to be near power and b) the general nature and hygene of certain politicians. The prime minister is missing, and most of the Cabinet is conveniently unavailable, so the faux politicians are now in charge, chortling gleefully over the success of their plan. Their joy is cut short when a general arrives to berate the "cabinent members" about their inactions, but they soon make short work of him to the accompaniment of blue lights and screams. Accidentally overseeing this is Harriet Jones, who's been trying to get her paper for the Flydale Infirmary in front of the Cabinet. She's in the wrong place at the wrong time and sees the wrong thing -- and now doesn't know how to get out.
Rose continues to have her resolve about the Doctor and her choice to go with him tested. Mickey takes some considerable pleasure in telling Rose he saw the TARDIS disappear the moment her back was turned. Rose doesn't believe him and pounds out to where the blue box was parked with Jackie and Mickey behind her. The Doctor, with an impeccable sense of timing, reappears to tell Rose there's trouble. Mickey and Jackie both follow Rose inside, but Jackie freaks at the alien nature of what she sees and runs back to her flat, where she ends up calling the Alien Reporting Line.
The Doctor starts to explain what's happening to Rose and Mickey, taking a little time to fluff his tail feathers and do the pecking dance in Mickey's direction, which Mickey responds to. The Doctor's starting to mark his territory here, refusing to remember Mickey's name correctly and trying to cut him down in Rose's estimation. It's arrogant, petty and childish -- and a sign his feelings for Rose might be developing a little more than he cares to admit. Between all this, he discovers the alien ship was launched from Earth originally, so whoever's behind this has been here for a while.
When he, Rose and Mickey step out of the TARDIS, they are surrounded by armed soldiers who want one thing: the Doctor. Jackie's call triggered all sorts of alarm bells and now alien experts, including those from UNIT (yay, team!) are descending upon 10 Downing Street. Mickey runs, while the Doctor and Rose are whisked away to a "conference." Meanwhile a rather large, flatulent police inspector remains behind to interview Jackie on how the Doctor came into their lives.
To no one's surprise, the "conference" at 10 Downing street is a trap. The Doctor is seperated from Rose, who's forced to cool her heels in the outer office. Harriet Jones, who's been hiding, sneaks out and shows Rose the discarded skin of one of the aliens and is relieved when Rose doesn't think she's nuts. Sadly, they also find the body of the Prime Minister tucked away in a closet. As the first part ends, one of the Slitheen is threatening Harriet Jones, Rose and a random civil servant with the bad luck to be there, Jackie is being menanced by the police inspector and proving she can scream as well as any other companion the Doctor's had, and the Doctor's being electrocuted by his ID badge, along with the other alien experts.
Since the Doctor's not human, he's able to stay conscious long enough to pull off his badge and attach it to the collar of one of the revealed Slitheen. That causes all the other Slitheen to react, no matter where they are, which allows Mickey to resuce Jackie from the Police Inspector and Rose and Harriet Jones to start running. The Doctor escapes, tells the soldiers downstairs the acting Prime Minister is an alien who's killed the experts. They don't believe him, especially since the Slitheen have put their skins back on by the time the Doctor gets back with reinforcements. What follows is a chase sequence through Downing street that rather borders on farce. Lots of running around that culminates in Rose and Harriet almost getting caught by the Slitheen (who have shed their skins and, so help me, remind me of the aliens of the series' early days), but are rescued by the Doctor at the last minute and the three of the escape into the Cabinet Room, which very conveniently has three-inch thick steel walls which will keep the Slitheen out, but will also keep the Doctor and the others in. Now they have two problems: how to stop the Slitheen -- and how to get out.
While all this is going on, Mickey is undergoing is own trials. He managed to get Jackie out of her flat, but the police inspector is still after them. He's sent Rose a picture of the alien via his cell phone, and the Doctor reluctantly calls Mickey to get his help. He guides Mickey through the security of the UNIT system to discover the signal the Slitheen are broadcasting into space. As the Doctor listens, trying to figure out what the signal means, the flatulent flatfoot comes knocking at the door of Mickey's flat. More screaming and running as Jackie and Mickey try to get away and the Doctor, Harriet, and Rose try to figure out how to save them by figuring out what the Slitheen's weakness is. It is when the Doctor learns that the gas they emit (a side-effect of their masquerade inside human skin) smells more like they had onions and garlic for lunch rather than five burritos that he realizes they are calcium-based creature, so he instructs Mickey (who's now hiding in his kitchen with Jackie) to get any vinegar-based food he has. Rose has to start yelling into the phone which cupboards the stuff is in and Mickey's still clueless (though I bet he could have found the beer if that had been needed), and it's Jackie who has to grab the pickled eggs and other awful stuff, mix it together and throw it at the Slitheen.
The effect is instantaneous and messy, leaving Jackie and Mickey covered in green goop. Back at Downing Street, the Slitheen know their brother has died, so kick their plan into high gear. Using the threat of alien weapons of mass destruction hovering over their head, the pseudo-politicians call upon the United Nations to release the UK's nuclear codes (which happened due to some previous problems such as giant robots of living metal and the Fourth Doctor) so they can defend themselves. The Doctor realizes this was their goal all along, and unlocks the Cabinet Room long enough to confront the Slitheen. They don't want to defend the Earth, they want to blow it to smithereens. The Slitheen cheerfully admit it; they're going to sell off the remains s fuel, which will make them a small fortune, and no one is able to stop them. The Doctor tells then that he will -- and he's just scary enough at that moment for them to believe it.
Turns out the Doctor does have a way to stop the Slitheen and has known it to be an option for some time. The problem is, the solution could succeed and he could lose Rose. Jackie is on the phone demanding the Doctor's promise that he keep Rose safe, but that's only a counterpoint to the struggle you see on his face. The Doctor cares what happens to Rose, something he didn't do just a short time ago. Feelings he thought carefully tucked away are starting to stir and he's faced with the consequence of reconnecting with people: if they are hurt, you hurt too. Rose, for her part, reaffirms her choice to be with the Doctor. She tells him to do it; she'll take her chances. The Doctor hesitates and Harriet steps up to the plate, taking command as the only elected official in the room. She gives the order to launch, and once again, the Doctor turns to Mickey, who doesn't freak out as he's instructed how to launch a missile at Downing Street from a British sub. He keeps the missile on track, preventing counter-measures. The missile hits, destroying Downing Street and the Slitheen, though the Cabinet Room survives.
With the world safe and the Prime Minister dead, the Doctor suggests it might be time for Harriet Jones to step up into the lime light. Harriet positively beams and heads off to meet with the press, declaring the emergency over and the Human race triumphant. The Doctor remembers where he knows her name from now -- Harriet Jones becomes Prime Minister for three successive terms and ushers in England's new golden age. And here we see the introduction of a nice little conondrum Nine sets in motion. He remembers Harriet Jones as having three terms as Prime Minister. Ten, shortly after his regeneration, will utter six little words -- "Don't you think she looks tired?" -- that shatters that memory and leaves the door open for Harold Saxon's rise to power. In short, the Doctor sows the seeds for his own potential destruction. We don't see it yet, though; we're distracted by messages about the Bad Wolf and warnings of storms coming and there's no way to see it looming on the horizon.
With the world safe once more, Jackie seems resigned to having the Doctor around, but she's clearly determined to act like he's a normal bloke and plans on having him over for tea. The Doctor tells Rose no thanks; he's off to roam the universe and she's welcome to come along if she likes. Rose doesn't hesitate. She's made her decision, and the threshold guardians no longer bind her to this place. She can't stay still; she's got to go with the Doctor and find her destiny there. Jackie makes a last-ditch attempt to get Rose to stay, offering all sorts of promises that actually support Rose's decision to leave -- Jackie promises to get a "real" job, and to not see a certain guy if he comes around again. Jackie's stuck and settled for second best and Rose knows she's got to break out of this cycle to find herself.
Mickey, who the last time physically restrained Rose (not effectively, but stil), has changed by this experience. He doesn't want Rose to go, but he's not going to stand in her way. He knows now that if it comes down to a choice between the Doctor and himself, he's going to be on the losing end. He's grown somewhat from the experience, and when the Doctor offers him a place, he knows it isn't for him at this point.
What's interesting is the fact the Doctor offers him a place at all. The Doctor's been forced to confront the fact he has feelings for Rose and he seems to be in need of a buffer. He's not complety disappointed when Mickey says no, but he willingly plays along wth Mickey's request not to let Rose know Mickey finds this life too intense, a bit of male solidarity against the female. Take a look at the Doctor's face when Rose has him her bag; there's a moment of "What have I gotten myself into?" on his face. He's not certain how to deal with these feelings and that will plague him for the rest of the season.
Things that stood out for me:
* That "Bad Wolf" appeared as graffitti done by a neighborhood boy -- whom the Doctor catches and makes clean the mess up.
* That the Slitheen are cut-rate villains. They don't want to rule the Earth; they just want to make a profit.
* The Doctor being physically moved when jackie smacks him. He can face all sorts of terror, but Jackie Tyler frightens him a little, I think.
Things I Didn't Like:
* The episodes often veered dangerously close to farce with the running about and the fart jokes. It didn't quite cross the line, but the silliness didn't quite ring true for me.
* Jackie's screeching. She's often just shrill in this episode.
* Did UNIT always have this high of a body count? Every time the show up on screen so far in this series, they die.
The next episode is a big one -- the Doctor reaches the mid-point of his seasonal arc, truly facing one of his darkest moments. And am I glad I'm off the rest of the week after tomorrow so I don't have to rush about trying to fit the commentary in.
There's been a long tradition in Doctor Who that the Doctor's control of the TARDIS isn't quite as finite as he would like. It came into play slightly in "The Unquiet Dead," as the Doctor landed himself and Rose in Cardif, 1869 instead of Naples, 1860. Here, it bites both the Doctor and Rose squarely in the butt as the Doctor returns them to London not twelve minutes after they left, but twelve months. Jackie has clearly spent much of her time looking for and worrying about Rose, and she's shocked, thrilled, and supremely pissed off when Rose comes waltzing through the door. Thus also begins the new tradition of the Doctor getting slapped sharply across the face by his companions' mothers. (Reason #1 the Doctor will never settle down to picket-fence bliss: the mother-in-law.)
Rose expected to step back into her Ordinary World for a while, was clearly anticipating it, but here she is hit not only with the normal tug of "Are you going to stay now that you've had your adventure?" but all the fears and expectations of people who've been worrying themselves sick about her. There's interviews with the police, there's the anger of Mickey -- who's been a suspect in her possible abduction/murder -- there's Jackie's insistence that Rose isn't going to go anywhere anymore and the verbal tearing down of Rose's relationship with the Doctor and Why It Is Wrong. All of this comes slamming down upon her, so much so that when the spaceship comes hurtling into the Thames, you can almost see the relief on her face because it's something to take her mind off everything else. There's no hesitation to take off with him and see what's happening.
Not much is happening comparatively. Spaceship hurtles spectacularly across the London skyline, whacks Big Ben in a fine Harryhausen manner crashes into the Thames and the Doctor and Rose can't get near enough to see what's going on. For some reason, the Doctor chooses not to use his psychic paper to get them through, and they end up back at Jackie's flat, reduced to waiting for news on the telly. Here the Doctor undergoes a minor test, one that he doesn't fair too well with -- dealing with the baggage that comes with Rose as Jackie's friends fill up the flat. The moment where the Doctor is wrestling with a small child for control of the remote is especially amusing. No, the Doctor doesn't do domestic, at least not the kind of domestic one would consider "normal."
Naturally, evil is afoot. A body has been pulled from the Thames, but the doctor responsible for the examination says that it's fake -- it's a pig with extra bits stuck on, sort of how seamen used to fake mermaids. Meanwhile, the Doctor uses the news of the body as an excuse to escape from Jackie's flat. Rose comes after him, worried he's going to take off (possibly because Rose feels that urge herself?). He assures her he won't and gives her a TARDIS key of her very own. Of course, once her back is turned, the Doctor runs away, straight to where the "alien" is being kept. He runs afoul of soldiers, who seem perfectly happy to send him off to his tenth regeneration rather prematurely, but when the screaming starts, the Doctor starts barking orders and the soliders obey, racing to find out what's happened. Turns out the "dead" alien has come back to life, frightened the doctor and in turn been frightened by the screams, so it runs away, only to be shot by the soldiers. The Doctor is upset because the pig was merely frightened and didn't need to die at all. Examining the now, really, we mean it this time, dead alien, he discovers it's definitely an Earth pig that's been augmented by alien technology. Someone wanted to fake the crash landing to draw attention, but the question is why?
The someone are the Slitheen, who are masquerading has important government officials and have infiltrated important positions. Important government officals in dire need of Gas-Ex. The fact that no one appears to actively notice this rather appalling habit is a comment on a) what people will put up with to be near power and b) the general nature and hygene of certain politicians. The prime minister is missing, and most of the Cabinet is conveniently unavailable, so the faux politicians are now in charge, chortling gleefully over the success of their plan. Their joy is cut short when a general arrives to berate the "cabinent members" about their inactions, but they soon make short work of him to the accompaniment of blue lights and screams. Accidentally overseeing this is Harriet Jones, who's been trying to get her paper for the Flydale Infirmary in front of the Cabinet. She's in the wrong place at the wrong time and sees the wrong thing -- and now doesn't know how to get out.
Rose continues to have her resolve about the Doctor and her choice to go with him tested. Mickey takes some considerable pleasure in telling Rose he saw the TARDIS disappear the moment her back was turned. Rose doesn't believe him and pounds out to where the blue box was parked with Jackie and Mickey behind her. The Doctor, with an impeccable sense of timing, reappears to tell Rose there's trouble. Mickey and Jackie both follow Rose inside, but Jackie freaks at the alien nature of what she sees and runs back to her flat, where she ends up calling the Alien Reporting Line.
The Doctor starts to explain what's happening to Rose and Mickey, taking a little time to fluff his tail feathers and do the pecking dance in Mickey's direction, which Mickey responds to. The Doctor's starting to mark his territory here, refusing to remember Mickey's name correctly and trying to cut him down in Rose's estimation. It's arrogant, petty and childish -- and a sign his feelings for Rose might be developing a little more than he cares to admit. Between all this, he discovers the alien ship was launched from Earth originally, so whoever's behind this has been here for a while.
When he, Rose and Mickey step out of the TARDIS, they are surrounded by armed soldiers who want one thing: the Doctor. Jackie's call triggered all sorts of alarm bells and now alien experts, including those from UNIT (yay, team!) are descending upon 10 Downing Street. Mickey runs, while the Doctor and Rose are whisked away to a "conference." Meanwhile a rather large, flatulent police inspector remains behind to interview Jackie on how the Doctor came into their lives.
To no one's surprise, the "conference" at 10 Downing street is a trap. The Doctor is seperated from Rose, who's forced to cool her heels in the outer office. Harriet Jones, who's been hiding, sneaks out and shows Rose the discarded skin of one of the aliens and is relieved when Rose doesn't think she's nuts. Sadly, they also find the body of the Prime Minister tucked away in a closet. As the first part ends, one of the Slitheen is threatening Harriet Jones, Rose and a random civil servant with the bad luck to be there, Jackie is being menanced by the police inspector and proving she can scream as well as any other companion the Doctor's had, and the Doctor's being electrocuted by his ID badge, along with the other alien experts.
Since the Doctor's not human, he's able to stay conscious long enough to pull off his badge and attach it to the collar of one of the revealed Slitheen. That causes all the other Slitheen to react, no matter where they are, which allows Mickey to resuce Jackie from the Police Inspector and Rose and Harriet Jones to start running. The Doctor escapes, tells the soldiers downstairs the acting Prime Minister is an alien who's killed the experts. They don't believe him, especially since the Slitheen have put their skins back on by the time the Doctor gets back with reinforcements. What follows is a chase sequence through Downing street that rather borders on farce. Lots of running around that culminates in Rose and Harriet almost getting caught by the Slitheen (who have shed their skins and, so help me, remind me of the aliens of the series' early days), but are rescued by the Doctor at the last minute and the three of the escape into the Cabinet Room, which very conveniently has three-inch thick steel walls which will keep the Slitheen out, but will also keep the Doctor and the others in. Now they have two problems: how to stop the Slitheen -- and how to get out.
While all this is going on, Mickey is undergoing is own trials. He managed to get Jackie out of her flat, but the police inspector is still after them. He's sent Rose a picture of the alien via his cell phone, and the Doctor reluctantly calls Mickey to get his help. He guides Mickey through the security of the UNIT system to discover the signal the Slitheen are broadcasting into space. As the Doctor listens, trying to figure out what the signal means, the flatulent flatfoot comes knocking at the door of Mickey's flat. More screaming and running as Jackie and Mickey try to get away and the Doctor, Harriet, and Rose try to figure out how to save them by figuring out what the Slitheen's weakness is. It is when the Doctor learns that the gas they emit (a side-effect of their masquerade inside human skin) smells more like they had onions and garlic for lunch rather than five burritos that he realizes they are calcium-based creature, so he instructs Mickey (who's now hiding in his kitchen with Jackie) to get any vinegar-based food he has. Rose has to start yelling into the phone which cupboards the stuff is in and Mickey's still clueless (though I bet he could have found the beer if that had been needed), and it's Jackie who has to grab the pickled eggs and other awful stuff, mix it together and throw it at the Slitheen.
The effect is instantaneous and messy, leaving Jackie and Mickey covered in green goop. Back at Downing Street, the Slitheen know their brother has died, so kick their plan into high gear. Using the threat of alien weapons of mass destruction hovering over their head, the pseudo-politicians call upon the United Nations to release the UK's nuclear codes (which happened due to some previous problems such as giant robots of living metal and the Fourth Doctor) so they can defend themselves. The Doctor realizes this was their goal all along, and unlocks the Cabinet Room long enough to confront the Slitheen. They don't want to defend the Earth, they want to blow it to smithereens. The Slitheen cheerfully admit it; they're going to sell off the remains s fuel, which will make them a small fortune, and no one is able to stop them. The Doctor tells then that he will -- and he's just scary enough at that moment for them to believe it.
Turns out the Doctor does have a way to stop the Slitheen and has known it to be an option for some time. The problem is, the solution could succeed and he could lose Rose. Jackie is on the phone demanding the Doctor's promise that he keep Rose safe, but that's only a counterpoint to the struggle you see on his face. The Doctor cares what happens to Rose, something he didn't do just a short time ago. Feelings he thought carefully tucked away are starting to stir and he's faced with the consequence of reconnecting with people: if they are hurt, you hurt too. Rose, for her part, reaffirms her choice to be with the Doctor. She tells him to do it; she'll take her chances. The Doctor hesitates and Harriet steps up to the plate, taking command as the only elected official in the room. She gives the order to launch, and once again, the Doctor turns to Mickey, who doesn't freak out as he's instructed how to launch a missile at Downing Street from a British sub. He keeps the missile on track, preventing counter-measures. The missile hits, destroying Downing Street and the Slitheen, though the Cabinet Room survives.
With the world safe and the Prime Minister dead, the Doctor suggests it might be time for Harriet Jones to step up into the lime light. Harriet positively beams and heads off to meet with the press, declaring the emergency over and the Human race triumphant. The Doctor remembers where he knows her name from now -- Harriet Jones becomes Prime Minister for three successive terms and ushers in England's new golden age. And here we see the introduction of a nice little conondrum Nine sets in motion. He remembers Harriet Jones as having three terms as Prime Minister. Ten, shortly after his regeneration, will utter six little words -- "Don't you think she looks tired?" -- that shatters that memory and leaves the door open for Harold Saxon's rise to power. In short, the Doctor sows the seeds for his own potential destruction. We don't see it yet, though; we're distracted by messages about the Bad Wolf and warnings of storms coming and there's no way to see it looming on the horizon.
With the world safe once more, Jackie seems resigned to having the Doctor around, but she's clearly determined to act like he's a normal bloke and plans on having him over for tea. The Doctor tells Rose no thanks; he's off to roam the universe and she's welcome to come along if she likes. Rose doesn't hesitate. She's made her decision, and the threshold guardians no longer bind her to this place. She can't stay still; she's got to go with the Doctor and find her destiny there. Jackie makes a last-ditch attempt to get Rose to stay, offering all sorts of promises that actually support Rose's decision to leave -- Jackie promises to get a "real" job, and to not see a certain guy if he comes around again. Jackie's stuck and settled for second best and Rose knows she's got to break out of this cycle to find herself.
Mickey, who the last time physically restrained Rose (not effectively, but stil), has changed by this experience. He doesn't want Rose to go, but he's not going to stand in her way. He knows now that if it comes down to a choice between the Doctor and himself, he's going to be on the losing end. He's grown somewhat from the experience, and when the Doctor offers him a place, he knows it isn't for him at this point.
What's interesting is the fact the Doctor offers him a place at all. The Doctor's been forced to confront the fact he has feelings for Rose and he seems to be in need of a buffer. He's not complety disappointed when Mickey says no, but he willingly plays along wth Mickey's request not to let Rose know Mickey finds this life too intense, a bit of male solidarity against the female. Take a look at the Doctor's face when Rose has him her bag; there's a moment of "What have I gotten myself into?" on his face. He's not certain how to deal with these feelings and that will plague him for the rest of the season.
Things that stood out for me:
* That "Bad Wolf" appeared as graffitti done by a neighborhood boy -- whom the Doctor catches and makes clean the mess up.
* That the Slitheen are cut-rate villains. They don't want to rule the Earth; they just want to make a profit.
* The Doctor being physically moved when jackie smacks him. He can face all sorts of terror, but Jackie Tyler frightens him a little, I think.
Things I Didn't Like:
* The episodes often veered dangerously close to farce with the running about and the fart jokes. It didn't quite cross the line, but the silliness didn't quite ring true for me.
* Jackie's screeching. She's often just shrill in this episode.
* Did UNIT always have this high of a body count? Every time the show up on screen so far in this series, they die.
The next episode is a big one -- the Doctor reaches the mid-point of his seasonal arc, truly facing one of his darkest moments. And am I glad I'm off the rest of the week after tomorrow so I don't have to rush about trying to fit the commentary in.